Musso or Pichney ?

[stripermaineiac]

The harware is way too new to be either. Stainless through wire with VMC hooks. I've got a bunch of old Pichneys an Mussos. All put together different. ProfessorM is probably right

[WoodyCT]

Paint is far too refined to be a Pichney.
No sandpaper scratches around the body as Pichney is known for.
Thems Mustads.
Of course they used stainless wire.

Here' more evidence.

First pic- Musso's original surface swimmer (the one that allegedly was swiped by DP)
Second pic- Pichney surface swimmer (the one allegedly swiped and sold to Lupo for mass production)
Last pic- Pichney Bootleg.

[numbskull]

"Swiped" seems harsh to me, though perhaps correct. Then again you could claim Musso "swiped" the bottle and darter from Gibbs and the needle from Boone. The Musso plug shown is not a surface swimmer (nor is the Bootleg which is a copy of it). Note the high mounted, high slot lip that would take the plug down. The Danny surface swimmer has a more central bulge and more central weight (to pivot better), and a low slot lip.....which was the real innovation that created a true surface swimmer. A real danny won't go subsurface when tuned right.